Doors don't shut right unless you slam them, really hard

scottevest

scottevest

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Any suggestions on how to best adjust my doors so you don't have to slam them hard in order for them to close right? Is this something a body shop should do/adjust?

If this has been discussed at length before, let me know. I couldn't find anything on this specific topic.

Again, unrelated, car is running so great now. Removed the middle muffler and it sounds better too. Not quite as loud as I thought I want, but just enough to sound right but not obnoxious.

Scott
 
here's the location:

rubberstop007.jpg
 
thanks

I don't believe door gaskets have been changed since i purchased the car last august. I will look for that piece.

Thanks.
 
Seals?

Don't know if you have new seals but there is one particular rubber seal at the A Pillar where the door contacts (at about the level of the wood) which if replaced with a "new" piece made by bmw is much harder than originally supplied. It makes shutting the door almost impossible without slamming. When I just redid my csl and changed all the seals around the door, I put the original back in for this piece and now it shuts much better. Not perfect, but much better. By the way, when a seal from a new bmw maybe lamborghini that was lying around the shop was put in instead of the new oem e9 seals it shut perfectly. These were much lower profile. I'll try and get pics of each seal.
 
When I changed the seals a few years back, they were extremely difficult to close. Now, after being almost continually closed for so long, they have gotten a bit better.

Still, I don't have that rubber cover, I'll see about that.
 
My personal recommendation

would be for you to take the car to a body shop. Adjusting a door properly requires finese while jockying around the hinges and latches for small adjustments. Unless an owner is experienced in doing this while holding up the door on a lift or jack arrangement, the procedure can be frustrating even given wear, bad seals,etc. that others have emphasized.

When done correctly, abnormal wear parts replaced or repaired, all lubricated up, it can amazingly feel like a new operation.
 
Has anyone recently installed the Jaymic door seals :confused: that could give us an update ? Did the excellent fitting older ones a member installed a few years ago fit because they were older correct fitting stock or because Jaymic has a better fitting source :confused: ?

Believe me poor fitting door gaskets are a sore point to body men, you install new gaskets on a freshly restored and or painted car and the customer bitches at you because the doors close too hard. The insinuation is always “you screwed up”, just another “Tums moment” in the life of a body man trying to do the right thing for the customer. ~ John Buchtenkirch

P.S. I would take the door panels off and spray the locks with white lithium grease if the car doesn’t have new gaskets. The catch in the lock may be dry and engaging slowly. Just my best guess and a cheap enough repair, so worth a try. You may be able to roll the window all the way down and spray the lock thru the back of the glass slot with a plastic wand sprayer ---- I don’t know, I never tried it.
 
PS-it is essential to have the door--

"thingies" that fit over the door latching mechanism on all E-3, E-9 and 2002 's for all model years--unless one really enjoys constantly slamming the doors upon each entry/egress. Sometimes simple solutions are very effective.

BTW--I'm not sure what the flea bay seller is smoking but--Mesa Performance had them in stock for around $2 the last time I purchased them. For years I have routinely installed or replaced old tired ones on every car I have had or processed for others--they do make a big difference.
 
John Buchtenkirch said:
Has anyone recently installed the Jaymic door seals :confused: that could give us an update ? Did the excellent fitting older ones a member installed a few years ago fit because they were older correct fitting stock or because Jaymic has a better fitting source :confused: ?
Click to expand...
Well my question is settled but unfortunately with the answer none of us coupe owners really wanted to hear. I e-mailed Jaymic asking about our lucky member that has correctly fitting door gaskets, the following is their response. --- Hello John

Thank you for your enquiry. I've been doing a little research and it looks as though your board member was probably lucky enough to get one of the older BMW seals which were a little softer. All we've supplied over the years is the genuine BMW items, as far as I know there isn't a reproduction one on the market else I'd already be selling it as the BMW ones are very expensive.

Kindest Regards
Pete

So according to the above we should buy our door gaskets from the cheapest source, they all fit like poop. You would think with all the $$$ that BMW gets for them they might be able to do better. I guess lousy fitting gaskets are better than none. ~ John Buchtenkirch
 
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